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What's going on here? Why put this bug/beetle, the ladybird/ladybug, into the scheme of things - surely it's a bird carving?
The answer is, for 'narrative'. Story. You could of course just carve the bird on its little branch and leave it there. But that's all you'll have: a bird on a branch, lovely though that might be. All's been told. However, add the bug, checked by the bird for lunch, and now there's something more. Time. Suspense. Action about to happen. Does the bird take the bug? Does the bug fly away? There's a little humorous enigma, a story that continues into the future.
So...
When you are designing any relief or carving in the round, think whether you could add some extra dimension like this. It's not always possible, or wanted of course, but if you can add what I'm calling narrative, you'll add a lot to the viewer's experience. (Our frog bowl is another example.)
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